The Frank Hunter
by Baronvonblack
Summary: Leaving all he left behind, Shinji is moulded into the 'Perfect Soldier'. This is his story as he rises through the ranks and becomes Gray Fox, better known as...Cyborg Ninja.
1. Enter Big Boss

A/N: I was struck with inspiration to write this after beating Null in Portable Ops a second time and learning about his past. I've altered it though to fit the EVA timeline.

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The Frank Hunter 

Shinji stared out the window of his teacher's car at the large amusement park.

It had been several weeks since his father had abandoned him. His teacher, noticing his depression decided to try and cheer him up by taking him to an amusement park.

The teacher stopped the car, getting out.

"Alright, we're here Shinji."

But even as he got out, he noticed that Shinji wasn't budging – he was simply staring out the window.

He sighed – he knew that because of what happened to his mother and his father abandoning him, the child's psyche would be permanently imprinted with this for the rest of his life. Countless feelings would well in him – guilt, fear, pain, anger – none positive.

That was why he had decided to bring Shinji here – maybe for a moment, he could forget those emotions, and be who he was…a child.

The teacher smiled. "Come on, Shinji. Don't worry, we'll have a great time here."  
Shinji turned to look at him with haunted, bleak eyes.

Ignoring the pain he saw in those eyes, the teacher's smile grew brighter. "I promise. Don't worry, I won't leave you."

Shinji whispered the first words he had spoken in several weeks. "You…you won't?"

"No, I won't – I promise."  
His mood changed significantly as he got out.

The teacher smiled as he took his hand, leading him into the amusement park.

-------

The teacher succeeded that day. For the day, as Shinji rode on the rides, had fun and won prizes, he could become a normal kid again.

But sadly, today was truly the end of his childhood.

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As Shinji and the teacher walked towards their car, Shinji was smiling more than he had for those few terrible weeks.

Suddenly there was a huge, metallic groan in the distance.

"What's that?" Shinji asked in curiosity.

The teacher frowned. "I'm not sure, Shinji. I'll…"

BANG!

The man dropped to the ground, a bullet between his eyes. Blood oozed out of the hole as his glasses dropped to the ground and shattered.

Troops in dark garment ran forward, killing anyone who stood in their way.

Shinji collapsed on the ground, staring at his teacher's dead body.

"My…my…"

The troops ignored him – he was only a little boy, of course. How could he hurt anything?

Shinji cried again, for the second time.

He didn't notice as a massive mechanical machine lumbered through the park, a madman standing on it.

"SNAKE, ARE YOU HERE?" He bellowed. "Where is Naked Snake?! Come in person or I'll kill more people!"  
Several soldiers were scouting the area for more victims until they were suddenly silenced by the swiftness of a knife.

And there he was – the man himself, his short grey hair and large trench coat flowing in the wind. "I'm here – and the name's now Big Boss, Jack."

"So you know who I am?" The man known as Jack sneered. "Then you'll remember that fateful mission during the Vietnam War where you left me for dead in the jungle?"

"I'm sorry Jack," Big Boss replied, "We couldn't afford to compromise the mission otherwise…"

"THE MISSION!" Jack laughed with a roar, waving his arms in the air. "It was always that, wasn't it Snake? You were always dedicated to the mission, the mission took priority, it was always the mission. You would die for the mission, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Big Boss replied. "And you would do the same."

Unbeknownst to Big Boss or the Metal Gear, a small, sniveling boy crouched over the body of his dead guardian.

"You…you said…" Shinji sobbed, "You said you wouldn't leave me. You _promised_ you wouldn't leave me. You promised… you PROMISED!"

A sudden dangerous, murderous glint appeared in his wet eyes.

Big Boss was ignoring him though, focused on Jack. In his gloved hand behind him, he pressed a small remote.

And BOOM! The legs of the bipedal tank dissipated into flames. The Metal Gear tumbled down, Jack stumbling off as the explosives the secret members of FOXHOUND placed while Big Boss was distracting him taking effect.

"It's over," Big Boss stated. "The Metal Gear you stole is finished, and so are you."

However, Jack had other plans as he struggled up badly wounded, a pistol in his hand. "It's not over till it's over, Snake! I'll… AGH!"

A single round from a FOXHOUND sniper on the other site of the ruined park took care of him.

Big Boss smiled, turning around to leave –

_Click._

A lone soldier in dark garments aimed a rifle at point-blank range at his head. He began to pull the trigger…

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AUTHOR'S NOTE! Sorry to leave you hanging like that but an explanation of this fic. I will keep doing it while I am in Metal Gear fever, and if you haven't noticed from the title Shinji becomes Frank Jaegar…better known as Null or the Cyborg Ninja.

If you haven't played the MGS series – PLAY IT NOW. Otherwise you'll have no idea of who Naked Snake, Big Boss, Metal Gear or FOXHOUND are – or at least get a rough plot idea to understand it.

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_Stab._

The soldier dropped the rifle, staring in shock down at his torso.

A bloody knife appeared in his torso before it withdrew. The soldier dropped to the ground, blood oozing from his wound as he died.

And as he died and gazed on the face of his attacker, he uttered only two words… "_Frank Jaegar._"

Big Boss stared down.

Before him was a small Japanese kid, gripping a bloody knife. His clothes were all covered in blood as his eyes held a predatory glint to them.

Suddenly the predator faded as the child returned again. He fell to the ground, dropping the knife with tears in his eyes.

"Wh…What have I done?"  
Big Boss then realized as he looked around. At least 12 soldiers, with knife slashes in them.

He checked them. They were definitely professionals, probably ex-Special Forces. A mix of different nationalities, as that other soldier had uttered German before he died.

How could a little boy have killed so many people?

The words hit him: _Frank Jaegar._ The frank hunter. Then…?

Big Boss stooped down to the kid's height. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy stared up at the American and surprisingly enough he spoke without hesitation. "Shinji Ikari."

"How old are you?"

"F-four…" (A/N: Damn can't remember the age when Gendo abandoned him!)

Big Boss took the bloodied knife, turning it over in his hands. It was a simple Spetsnaz type knife. He slipped it into his pocket, although he didn't know why.

"I-I killed them…didn't I?"

Big Boss couldn't tell how this would affect a child. "Don't think about them. It makes it easier to cope with."

The older man stood up, giving him his hand. "Come on, kid. Don't worry, I won't leave you."

"You…you won't?"

"I won't. I promise."

…_The teacher's smile grew brighter. "I promise. Don't worry, I won't leave you."_

_Shinji whispered the first words he had spoken in several weeks. "You…you won't?"_

"_No, I won't – I promise."  
_Shinji took his hand as he led him forward.

A/N: I know a bit short, but I wanted to get this first one over with.


	2. The Perfect Soldier

**Review Responses:**

**Rhamiel 506: **Don't worry, I know of the tremendous responsibility that falls on me with recreating Shinji into a mindless super soldier – more importantly, the Cyborg Ninja. Even if I decide, "nah can't be bothered updating anymore" the chapters here will be of fair quality, I assure you of it.

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A/N: Well Shinji isn't based on the Cyborg Ninja but on the person he was in the teenage years, better known as 'Null' for being the only survivor of the Perfect Soldier project. If any of you don't know that play Portable Ops and you will find out.

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"NO!" Shinji begged. "Please, don't leave me here!"

"Sorry kiddo," Big Boss looked down at the infant. "But what I do is a dangerous business. You could get killed or injured by staying with me. It's for your own good."

"You…you promised…you promised you wouldn't leave me!" Shinji cried, anger rising within him.

Big Boss froze.

That look in his eyes… 

It was the same glint when he had killed all those people. He had read the child's report, knowing of his abandonment and although his experience with kids was little he knew what was happening.

Because two of the biggest parental figures in his life had disappeared, Shinji's life had been deteriorating rapidly. Without a role model to look up to, he would be severely plagued in later life.

And Big Boss had seen something in him, something he was seeing now. Inside that small, frank boy, there was the heart of a lion and the power of a beast.

The legendary soldier crouched down until he was eye to eye with him.

"Don't worry, kid, I don't break my promises and neither should you – remember that, don't ever break promises. I'll be back for you in a few years when you're a little older. Wait for me until then, okay?"  
The glint disappeared. "I – I will." Then he appeared to become taller as his shoulders straightened. "I promise."

Big Boss grinned. "Good boy."

The older man turned, opening the door and about to exit the orphanage before he uttered his parting words: "Farewell…Frank Jaeger."

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_Several months later_

"Is he here?" The agent, clothed in a dark suit with glasses, asked.

The orphanage lady nodded. "Yes, I'll show him to you."

She turned to go outside.

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"New kid!"

Shinji was sitting on the swing, watching the clouds go by.

He turned his head in the direction of the voice.

A massive, thuggish bully walked towards him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Shinji asked politely.

The bully cracked his knuckles. "Now that the orphanage lady isn't watching over you all the time (A/N: Assumedly the orphanage lady would always watch the new orphans so they can get settled in), it's the day for your initiation process."

Several other boys appeared beside him.

Shinji's gaze turned cold. "Is this necessary?"

"It is," the bully answered.

A bestial glint appeared in his eyes. "Let's get this over with."

The bully suddenly felt a chill pass through him as he looked into those cold, predatory eyes, and suddenly he felt less of himself.

But before he shied away, he forced himself out of his fear and threw a right cross at Shinji's face –

WHACK!  
The bully gasped in surprise as Shinji punched him in the stomach, following up with a ferocious knee to the groin.

"Aghhh!"

The other boys, seeing their leader hurt decided to jump in.

Now let's get this straight: Shinji wasn't a fighter and he didn't want to get into fights.

But a few days after the Metal Gear incident and Big Boss had the chance to teach him some things to survive, he absorbed all of it.

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Big Boss stared out the window. "It's a tough world out there, Shinji. Nobody's going to ever stop for you and everyone will get in your way if you're going to slow their progress."

_Shinji looked at his hands – in his mind he imagined them like they were on that day…drenched in blood._

_The legendary soldier noticed this. "You did what you needed to do, Shinji. Those men were about to kill a lot of people. Because of you they won't be able to hurt others anymore. You protected the good people by defeating them."_

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They won't be able to hurt others anymore.

Shinji now truly understood it. Good and bad, villains and allies.

Because of that single sentence, he hadn't thought about his deeds since.

_You protected the good people by defeating them._

That was how he could help others.

And that was why he was currently in a brutal fight with those seven kids.

But winning.

"HEY!" The orphanage lady screamed as she entered. "BREAK IT UP NOW!"

Slowly the kids began to back away, leaving Shinji in the middle of their small circle.

Shinji had numerous rips in his clothing and cuts and bruises, but the kids were far worse off than them.

Some were crying. Others were gritting their teeth in pain.

"Shinji what the HELL do you think you're doing?!" The orphanage lady shouted.

The adrenaline was still surging through Shinji's small body. "That's a good question," he said with a smile. "But shouldn't you be asking what are they doing?"

"That's it Shinji!" The orphanage lady snarled. "You're…"

The CIA agent, however, was watching all of this quietly.

He saw from the inside how these kids had approached the child, and how he had fought them and the energy he was feeling from him.

Yes. He is the one.

The agent broke into the conversation. "Shinji, do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?"

The 4-year old kid shrugged carelessly. "Sure."

"Somewhere private," the agent said quickly as the lady was about to interrupt.

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As they walked the CIA agent noticed how he carried himself. It was far more mature than what he should be, more like that of an adult who had seen much of the world.

He had read the reports, and although he was expecting a housebroken sniveling child, he was happier that he had found this.

"Shinji," he stated bluntly. _Best to do this truthfully. _"I'm from the CIA."

The boy's ears perked up as he looked at the taller man in surprise.

"We've created a new project, called 'Perfect Soldier', and now we're looking for possible candidates."

"Why me?" Shinji asked.

"Because we know what you've experience. What you continue to go through everyday, and the burdens you're feeling. Responsibility, strength… And we have a way to help you."

"…Does it involve hurting people?"

"Yes it does, Shinji. But not good people. Bad people, who want to see good people hurt."

That seemed to be the right thing to say.

"Tell me when to start." Shinji stated.

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Several scientists looked at the young boy as several tubes were connected to his body, floating in a medical tank. They took notes of his vital signs and status on the computer screen.

The CIA agent looked at the child, asleep – as if a beast waiting to be awakened.

His memories would be suppressed, but that would be for the best.

He would undergo rigorous training from the best teachers and soldiers.

He would be genetically enhanced, plus pumped with specially built drugs to make him stronger, faster, smarter.

A Soldier who would feel no emotion, no regret, who would kill without remorse and obey orders to the utmost.

A Soldier with the greatest fighting skills, technical and weapon knowledge.

Shinji Ikari was no more.

In his place, there remained only a nameless Perfect Soldier.

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A/N: Well what did you think of that chapter? Don't worry don't expect him to be mindless for long. Please review!


	3. Gendo

**Review responses:**

**Rhamiel 506: **Let's just say I'll update as soon as inspiration keeps striking.

**W'rkncacnter**Thanks for the review, but updates for stories on EVA are getting slower and slower these days.

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"You…you monster!" The man screamed as he fired a burst of bullets from his pistol.

He was lying on the ground, his legs cleanly amputated from the knees down. Blood covered his white shirt and jacket.

The attacker swiftly deflected the bullets off his machete, before moving in, leaping into the air to execute the killing blow.

The man screamed in horror, as he looked at this man, no, this abomination that closed in on him.

The last thing he saw were the attacker's piercing blue eyes before everything became black.

Null severed the head from the rest of the body. He waited for a moment until the body dropped and began to shoot out jets of blood before he sheathed his weapon.

"Hold it right there!"

Several members of a corrupted branch of the British SAS – the world's best special forces, aimed their rifles at the intruder.

Seven holding fully automatic rifles against a single assassin with a machete? Theoretically, the ninja would have impossible odds of escaping.

But whoever calculated the odds never took into account a single variable: He was not just a man… he was the Perfect Soldier.

Null had heard the men approaching from behind him, formulated a plan of attack and before the man had finished yelling "Hold it right there!" he had already become a blur.

The Perfect Soldier leapt into the air, executing a flawless back flip and kicking one SAS down, before landing on another and dropping him as well.

In one smooth motion he drew his Scorpion submachine gun, firing at point-blank range at several men and turning their faces into a mess of blood and gore.

At the same time, he stabbed another man in the chest behind him and at the same time as that happening he had side kicked another soldier.

This happened in the course of several seconds.

That left only one.

The SAS soldier had just seen his comrades, kicked, cut and shot to death.

Even an SAS man would be scared out of his pants now.

And he was.

"P-please…" the man begged as he got on his knees. "Please don't kill me!"

Null took off his sleek black balaclava, revealing his military style ghost-white hair and pale complexion.

He drew his machete, gripping it in two hands like an executioner.

"P-please…"

"Dead men tell no tales," Null stated coldly.

SLASH!

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"Incredible…" A scientist whispered.

"Astounding…" Another added.

"Impossible…"

Several of them were reviewing the security tapes of Null in action before he destroyed the cameras.

"He sneaked into a heavily fortified terrorist complex, killed one of America's most wanted, and defeated seven corrupt SAS soldiers in a record time of less than 2.5 seconds." Otacon stated simply as he stepped out of the shadows. "This using only a basic sneaking suit without Kevlar, a machete, and a Scorpion with only 25 rounds."

"Don't forget the cardboard box," another added.

He's even better than we could have possibly anticipated. Shame he's the only one that survived the Perfect Soldier project."

"Hence the codename 'Null'."

-------

Null slept inside his sensory deprivation tank.

Inside, he was nothing. Not a man, not a boy, not a soldier.

Just an embryo inside their mother's womb, waiting to be born into the world like a child.

He had no memories.

Nothing of his previous life remained.

He had many previous lives. 30 in fact, although now 31, because after each mission he would 'die'.

And now he was reborn again as the same form, but a new person.

But was he really just the same person as well, since he experienced the same experience every time he came out of the tank?

Like a baby seeing for the first time? The confusion? Why he obeyed these strange people in funny uniforms without reason and killed without remorse?

Every time before he forgot he had this moment, he would wonder perhaps there was another time when he was not like this, when he was free to choose, free to think.

Did ever a time exist in his life? Surely the first ten years of his life had come into being?

Then he gets into the deprivation tank without knowing why except he must, and forgets what he thought.

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His name is Gendo Ikari," the CIA executive stated coldly, "And he is in charge of NERV in Japan."

"What's the problem, sir?" An agent asked as he came in, sitting down.

"Two agents have disappeared while keeping tabs on his agency. My sources strongly suggest that he has his own agenda for NERV."

"Capture and interrogate?"

"No, we can't afford for anyone to know we're keeping him in here. As the commander of NERV he has a strong influence on SEELE and the Government, so we can't let him live. Kill him."

The agent nodded. "Understood. But how am I supposed to get close to him?"

You're not." The executive slid a card across his desk to him.

The agent looked at it and his eyes widened. "A…a level SEVEN clearance?"

"Yes. And you know what that means."

"We're going to use…" the agent forced out the next word. "Null?"

"Yes. Spare him no resources. Ikari's death is top priority. I'll send an escort to show you to Null's sensory deprivation tank and awaken him for you."

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"Why is he in a sensory deprivation tank?" The agent asked as they went to where Null was sleeping.

"So he remembers nothing of his life," the lady scientist answered. "So that previous experiences will not alter his personality, tactics or character."

"But then every time he comes out of that tank he's like a newborn baby."

"Exactly. But his skills, his knowledge and military procedures have been hardwired into his brain. He'll obey without question. He'll fight without knowing how to fight. His confusion, his lack of experience is his greatest weakness and our greatest strength. He is the Perfect Soldier."

They came to the room where his tank was held.

It was like a huge metallic coffin, the agent realised. Through the windows he could see some strange deep blue liquid but the figure of a young boy coming into his teens was recognisable.

"Stand back," the scientist ordered as she went up to the tank.

She punched a code into the keypad on the door, and pulled the large lever.

Steam hissed out of the top of the tank as the liquid began to deplete at a rapid pace out of tubes connected to the tank.

Then suddenly, the door snapped open and revealed Null.

The agent didn't know what to think of him. His height revealed he was still young, but he was very muscular, pale with white hair and a mature, Japanese face.

As Null opened his eyes, he saw that they were an intense icy blue.

"Your name is Null," the scientist stated. "This agent will brief you on your mission."

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The agent gave him the situation and his objectives.

He noticed Null just stood there in perfect military stance, absorbing everything he was saying.

When he took him to the armoury, Null chose a Scorpion, Mk22 tranquilizer, silenced pistol, night vision goggles and he always had his machete.

Null was wearing a basic sneaking suit when he was in the tank, but now he updated it to a tougher but just as light Kevlar reinforced sneaking suit, which as a plus reduced his thermal signature to nothing but a blip.

When he was ready, the agent nodded. "We move in two hours."

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They were inside a large stealth bomber that was now instead of carrying bombs now carrying Null and the agent.

"Keep your kills to a minimum," the agent said. "Actually only make sure you kill the commander and if you can make it look like an accident. Enter and DON'T BE SEEN!"

Null nodded. "Affirmative."

He zipped up his HALO suit and got into the small pod the bomber was carrying, ready for night insertion into Tokyo-3.

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With a hiss the bomber's cargo bay opened and the small pod dropped at out an altitude of 25,000 feet.

Inside the pod, Null kept a watch on the altimeter carefully.

After the stealth pod was below radar and conventional airspace, he ejected and began to free-fall.

The wind rushed through his gear as he looked at the lit city of Tokyo-3.

_Where to land? …There._

At the very last moment Null pulled on his cord and within an instant his parachute flew open.

He landed in the hills close to one of the entrances to the Geofront, where he quickly ripped off his parachute and slipped out of his HALO suit revealing his sneaking one.

The Perfect Soldier camped out on the cliff edge. He grabbed his binoculars, focusing them on the entrance.

Several guards were there, armed with machine guns. He also noted that there were thermal vision goggles hanging from one of the guard's vests.

_If I'm going to get in without being seen, I'll have to do it some other way._

He turned the binoculars to the other way, and suddenly spotted a truck.

_That's my other way._

Rolling down the hill quickly and quietly, he brought out his silenced pistol and fired at one of the tires.

A quiet hissing was heard as the truck slowed to a stop.

"We've got a tire problem. Hang on, I'll get out and fix it."

Null allowed himself to grin.

Quickly he slipped behind the truck, jumping on without a noise.

The Perfect Soldier hid himself in one of the crates as he waited patiently.

"It's a tire puncture, but we're not too far off from base. I'll just wait until we get into NERV before doing anything."

Null grinned again. _A first class ticket to NERV._

He frowned. Where had that sudden burst of cockiness come from?

As they got to the gate, the guard slowed them with a hand as another guard activated his thermal goggles and looked inside the crates.

"It's all clear. You're free to go."

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"Man that puncture was such a surprise. The hole looks almost like a bullet…"

PHUT!

The driver dropped quickly as the tranquilizer took effect.

"Hey Mike! What happened out…"

PHUT!

A second dropped.

Null quickly hid the bodies in some of the crates in the truck before looking around.

He had memorised the map of NERV the agent had showed him and now had a fairly good idea where to go.

But looking around, walking in plain sight with a sneaking suit on wasn't a good idea.

Plus the fact that there were little places to hide.

Null moved quickly.

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He found a locker room with no problems on the way.

Grabbing a locker, he used his silenced pistol to shatter the lock and threw it open.

Inside there was a pristine scientist coat, which would do for now.

Null slipped off his balaclava and put on the coat, wrapping it tightly around his suit as he walked off.

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Ritsuko was tired.

She had been filing things all night, and now as she sipped at her coffee in her office, she sighed deeply.

Ritsuko decided to walk out and get some exercise – sitting all day wasn't good for you.

As soon as she left her office, a pale youth slipped around the corner into it.

Easily he found ready access to medical supplies inside.

Null worked quickly – there was no time to waste.

He grabbed several bottles and a beaker, mixing some chemicals in crystal form before grinding them and creating a white, powdery substance which he poured into her coffee.

Once done, he hid himself in an empty cabinet and waited.

After a while Ritsuko came back, yawning. "Oh man, there's no one out there. It's like a ghost town in the base."

She sat back down, and before she grabbed her pen to continue working she took a sip of her coffee.

One sip of the coffee was enough for the dosage Shinji had prepared to instantly take effect.

Suddenly Ritsuko felt woozy in the head. She started fading in and out of consciousness, and she finally blacked out.

Null exited the cabinet, tipping her coffee out.

He grabbed the woman, putting her on the floor and putting her chair to the side to make it seem like she had fallen.

Quickly he began to systematically search all the cabinets in her office. He found a bottle of alcohol and a gun, which was perfect for what he needed.

Null opened the alcohol, tipping some out on her coat before putting it in her hand.

He then pressed the gun hard into her hand to make sure her fingerprints were on it when security checked.

Null took the gun, checking it was loading, before setting out to kill the commander of NERV.

A/N: How did you like that? Please review, I might take a break the next few days but don't worry this won't die!


	4. Escape

**Review responses:**

**W'rkncacnter**Well the MGS series is known for its preference of style over realism.

**Zeroeye: **The day of the Third Angel is coming soon but not yet.

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A/N: Shinji is now about ten years old. I'm only loosely following the EVA timeline so events may not happen exactly like they did or the same day and blah blah blah.

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The Commander's Office should be just around the next…

Here.

It was a smooth, polished wooden door bearing the simple COMMANDER name on it (A/N: not sure what it is like outside).

As Null tried it, he found it to be locked.

He stripped off his lab coat, pulling the balaclava over his head and masking all features except his eyes.

The Perfect Soldier was now dressed completely black.

He pulled out a small lock pick he had in one of his pouches, sliding it into the lock and fumbling around inside.

Within a moment the lock had snapped open with a click.

Null was unsure whether the Commander would actually be in here, but he was about to find out.

Becoming a blur, Null slammed open the door, rolling inside.

Thankfully the place was completely pitch black except for a desk and a man sitting at it.

This must be the commander.

Gendo Ikari rose at the sudden interruption. "Who's there?" He demanded.

Null stood there casually. His suit blended in among the shadows perfectly and to human eyes, he was completely invisible.

The Commander was about to press the buzzer on his desk calling for Section 2 guards, but as he reached for it a small throwing knife embedded itself in the desk…

Between his fingers.

Gendo frowned. _Obviously there is someone here. An assassin?_

And if he made any wrong moves, he could end up dead.

The sudden press of metal into the back of his head and the cocking of a gun told him that death was most likely inevitable.

Gathering his courage, Gendo asked, "Who are you?"

"Your worst fears," a surprising calm voice answered.

Null whacked him on the head with the butt of the doctor's gun, knocking him out before pressing it to his head once again.

As he went to pull the trigger, he frowned.

Something inside him, something that had been smothered by years of training and the sensory deprivation tank, something was screaming at him, telling him not to pull the trigger and end his life.

_But I must! _Null yelled inside. _It is my MISSION!_

Failure was unthinkable, intolerable! Failure was worse than death!

But even as he tried to pull that trigger, his mind waged an internal struggle as the voice told him over and over again not to pull that trigger.

_WHY? Who is he? What connection does he have to me?_

Null crouched down, turning over the commander so he could see him.

Even in the dull environment, his enhanced vision quickly adjusted.

His eyes widened in shock as memories began rushing back to him as he looked at that strange man.

"_Daddy…daddy please don't leave me! I'll be good!"_

"_Your daddy's gone. I'll be taking care of you now."_

"_I promise. Don't worry, I won't leave you."_

"_Frank Jaegar…"_

"_You…you promised…you promised you wouldn't leave me!"_

_Shinji Ikari. Shinji Ikari._

_My name!_

_My name is Shinji Ikari!_

Shinji Ikari.

And this man…this man was Gendo Ikari.

His father.

Strange feelings, feelings of warmth, anger, pain and fear began to well up inside him.

_No. _The Perfect Soldier instinct took over instantly. _It would not be beneficial to get emotional, especially during a mission._

_Don't kill him! For crying out loud he's our FATHER! _Shinji Ikari screamed.

_Do not jeopardise the mission, _Null snarled. _Kill him!_

And for a moment the two personas remembered that this man, who was supposed to protect him, nurture him and always be there for him, left him on a street as he drove away, never to return again.

And in that moment, all the seething hatred and anger that had been built up, burst in him like a volcano.

_Yes. KILL HIM!_

And as Shinji was about to pull the trigger, the door suddenly opened and a grey-haired man walked in.

"Ikari?"

Quickly Shinji slipped away into the shadows. The aging man walked in, and just as he closed the door he got out.

_Damn it. I have to get out now or they'll sound the alarm!_

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And as he was running through the endless corridors, the alarm started blaring.

_Crap!_

Null started sprinting.

He ran through several more corridors before coming face to face with several guards.

"Hey! He's here!"

Having no time to deal with these hired goons, Null threw down several flashbang capsules he had fashioned himself during the trip over.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Agh…Damn it, can't see!"

During the bright flashes of light and noise, Null easily slipped away.

He opened the door to a nearby room.

In surprise, he stumbled upon a strange, blue-haired girl with red eyes.

Quickly Null executed a perfect throwing move, forcing her onto the ground. He closed the door with his foot, his machete at her throat.

Her ruby-red eyes looked at him, a mixture of curiosity but also a tinge of fear.

Null stared back with his hard, icy blue eyes.

At this proximity, he could feel her heartbeat start to quicken, her breaths speeding up and as they looked deep into each other's eyes he felt something strange about her…something familiar.

Inside her heart, Rei felt something as well.

Something, which she had not felt before. It felt warm, delicate and alien at the same time.

_What is this that I feel? Why do I feel so comfortable around him? A stranger?_

Null decided not to kill her.

He looked up, seeing a ventilation shaft.

The Perfect Soldier broke it open, leaping it and making his escape.

Later on, when asked Rei said that she had encountered no one.

-------

Shinji Ikari stood at the foot of the same hill he landed on.

_Where to go now? _He mused. _I failed my mission. I nearly killed my own father. I have no one left._

Then he realised.

There was still one.

Big Boss… 

-------

Shinji found an abandoned car in an empty parking lot nearby.

He smashed through the glass with the butt of his machete, sliding in.

The Perfect Soldier then began the process of hotwiring the vehicle.

Once done, the car burst into life, the lights illuminating the dark parking lot.

It's not much time before they start searching outside the base. I have to get out quickly and find money.

-------

He drove into an empty street, where there were several shops that were closed.

Null got out; making sure no one was here before heading to the first one – a clothing store.

Using his lock pick again, he snapped open the door. Noticing there was an alarm system installed, he sneaked over to where the keypad was.

Opening it, he pulled out several wires and mixed them together.

The alarm system quietly deactivated.

Shinji found a hat (to disguise his white hair), shirt, jacket, jeans and a pair of shoes for himself. He switched them with his current sneaking suit and weaponry, which he put in several plastic bags.

He also went to the cashier, grabbing several wads of notes.

Although this was stealing and directly against his morals, Shinji knew that this situation was desperate and called for emergency measures.

Even so, the money he got was very little and not enough to rent a hotel room.

Unless… 

-------

Shinji drove over to a very large hotel – in fact, one of the most luxurious in Tokyo-3.

He had found a luggage bag in another shop to carry his weapons and gear inconspicuously – to anyone it would look like he was a tourist, just come from a very long flight.

It was quite late at night, so there was only one person at the lobby check-in desk.

He took a quick glance at where the keys were hanging, noticing where some were missing.

He snuck another glance at the hotel map, noting where the emergency exits were.

Shinji then got onto one of the elevators then picked a floor where an emergency exit was quite close and also not too high.

Getting off, he located a room he knew would be empty, and then using his lock pick he broke through it and opened.

Inside it was fairly luxurious, with a king-sized bed (and silk sheets, he would later find out), a large fridge, and a marble bathroom.

Shinji sighed. He would need his strength and he did have a long night, so he decided to get into bed.

Immediately he fell off into a sleep, thankful for one where the next day he would not forget what he had done.


	5. Plan

**Review responses:**

**Zeroeye: **Thanks for the review.

-------

A/N: I've changed the MGS timeline hugely to fit in with the EVA timeline. The Zanzibar Land incident has not occurred, Solid Snake is still a rookie and the events in MGS 1 and MGS 2 have not happened either – the Metal Gears have been abandoned, as they have been replaced by the newer, better Evangelions.

-------

Shinji woke up to a beautiful dawn.

Checking the clock, it was 5 am in the morning – it was time for him to get out of Tokyo-3 and track down Big Boss.

But unfortunately, first he'd need to find a source of income for overseas flights and needs. The money he had in his pocket now was okay for maybe a few days considering he was military-trained and in this environment not needing to eat much, but he had to get some more money.

That or figure out some way to get outside Japanese borders without being detected.

Sitting down, Shinji put his Mk22 inside his jacket pocket, knowing if he killed anyone it would draw too much attention. The rest of his weapons he put inside his bag as well as his suit and gear.

He got out of his room, going to the elevator and pressing the button, waiting for it to come up.

While waiting, his mind simulated various scenarios and strategies, as his head was now clearer than it was last night, with muddled thoughts and confusion.

If he returned to the CIA, it would be absolute suicide. There was no telling what they would do once they found out he had his memories back – and Shinji didn't fancy going back into the sensory deprivation tank anytime soon.

NERV capturing him was not an option.

So the only real choice was to track down Big Boss, and perhaps join FOXHOUND, his legendary Special Forces group.

-------

As Shinji walked out of the hotel, he went to a local Internet café.

Going on, he quickly searched up 'Big Boss'.

There were several hits, which he quickly checked out.

Although most of them he dismissed as nerd and fan rumours, what intrigued him on one of the pages was this 'Zanzibar Land' and 'Outer Heaven'.

Reportedly Big Boss had financed Outer Heaven and now resided there – so he would go there next.

But how?

Obviously he would need access to contacts, money, equipment – not to mention falsifying passports, or getting out of country without NERV noticing.

No normal person should be able to accomplish this, not even a trained agent.

But he wasn't just a normal person, and he was better than a trained agent.

He was Null.

The Perfect Soldier.

-------

But the biggest thing now was how to get out of the country without anyone noticing.

Now how would this be achieved?  
Shinji didn't have any idea, but he figured he might have to smuggle aboard a vehicle bound for outside the country – that would be his first priority.

Although Shinji wasn't familiar with Tokyo-3, he got on a public bus after checking its route. This would save him the time of having to buy a map or ask directions.

Just as he got on and paid the bus fare, he looked out the window to see several men in black suits asking some people questions.

His gaze narrowed as he sat down. _It looks like they could be onto me. I've got to get out quickly._

-------

As Shinji got out at the harbour, he noticed several more men in suits asking people questions.

_Just how many of them are there? And how obsessed are they with trying to find me?_

He decided to simply walk past the men casually. Unfortunately there wasn't much of a crowd around this part, more over in the other area so he wouldn't be able to 'blend in' like he had originally planned.

Because of this, one of the men noticed him quickly.

_Crap._

He turned and started walking around a building, all while keeping his stance and posture casual.

The man began to start following him now. As he walked around the building, Shinji subtly started to slow his steps. It appeared he was still walking at the same speed, but in reality he was slowing down as the agent got closer and closer.

Shinji risked a glance behind him to quickly notice the agent about to speak into his radio.

At that point Shinji lashed out with a spinning back kick, catching the agent on the chin.

Not leaving him any time to recover, he followed up with an elbow to his head, then finished it with a throw that made the agent land in a trash bin.

Shinji left the area, looking like nothing had happened.

As he walked in the harbour, he quickly noticed something.

A military ship – an Aircraft Carrier, parked in the Tokyo-3 harbour? Why was it here?  
As he started walking towards it, Shinji saw that the markings were definitely US Army.

He chuckled to himself. What were the chances that an Aircraft Carrier, an American one, would dock here?

Shinji walked around, checking out possible paths and how well-guarded it was. It seemed to be for educational purposes, as there were lots of children gawking at it and smiling Navy officers.

He decided to pick up a brochure from the table across from him.

Flicking through it quickly, he discovered it would return to America tomorrow.

_Perfect_, he thought. _If I return here tonight and sneak onboard, then find a nice, safe place to hide then I'll be able to get to America without anyone noticing._

He would continue his plan from there.

-------

But until then, he decided to relax and give himself some time to think.

After all, this was the first time in a long time that he had this chance.

Shinji walked out of the harbour towards the beach, sitting down and looking up at the clouds, listening to the sound of the sea foaming.

Everything was slowly coming back to him – the many years of rigorous training, the first time he entered the sensory deprivation tank and every time he killed his targets.

His targets were usually terrorist leaders, crime lords or corrupt officials or generals, each one of them always a threat to the safety of the modern world.

And although Shinji knew because of this, what he had done was right. Because they were dead, they couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

He was a soldier, and he was meant to.

But he knew although he was a soldier, this kind of a soldier made him sick. One with no memories, nothing to remember or cling onto, nothing to drive him.

In the end, a soldier should have loyalties, not to justice, not to his country, but to himself and to know what drives him to fight.

Shinji didn't have that as Null.

-------

Night quickly passed. Shinji finished up the rest of his press-ups, and then glanced at the waterproof watch he had bought.

_11:34 pm. It's time._

Shinji had bought a plastic bag and a long cord of rope. He crept into the bushes, changing quickly into his sneaking suit.

The sneaking suit was designed for all conditions, so it would be able to stand a little water.

He put his clothes, gear and weapons into the plastic bag, wrapping it up tightly with the cord. He then did several knots around himself so it hung from his back.

Shinji had also bought a snorkel. He had another long cord of rope, which he tied around his waist.

The Perfect Soldier glanced across at the ship.

It wasn't too far from his location. The door had been closed, of course, so entry was all impossible unless by his means.

Few would furthermore be awake at this time, and because of the public nature of the Aircraft Carrier they probably wouldn't be using any Sonar or Radar Systems now.

He ran across the beach, jumping into the water. Putting the snorkel over his face, he dove underwater and started swimming with long, powerful kicks.

The water wasn't all that cold; the only problem was it was dark and impossible to see anything. His machete was in a sheath strapped to his outer thigh, so if anything came along he wouldn't hesitate, he would attack immediately.

Thankfully no such incident occurred. Shinji risked sticking his head slightly above the water to see the Aircraft Carrier looming above him.

He turned his head to see the massive anchor dropped into the water.

Immediately he swum towards it – as he got to it he grabbed one of the massive chains and pulled himself out of the water.

Since he was in bare feet, he immediately started climbing up, gripping the chains tightly. Because he was wet, it was quite slippery and he could easily fall off, but through his training he could maintain his balance quite well.

Risking a glance down, Shinji saw that he had climbed a fair way up – if he fell, the sound of the splash would most certainly notify the officers of his presence here and that was not a good idea.

But there was no need for fear, as Shinji easily leapt onto the ship. He rolled forward behind several crates, sticking to the safety of the shadows.

Thankfully there was no moon tonight. Shinji grabbed his plastic bag, fumbling inside and grabbing the pair of night vision goggles, which he strapped to his head.

He also grabbed his Mk22, and his sneaking boots, which he hastily put on.

There didn't seem to be very many places where he could hide out for several weeks on a normal ship, but on an Aircraft Carrier…maybe that would be different.

The best hiding point would probably be in the Cargo Bay, where everything was stored. Empty cabins were risky, and staying out in the open like this would be okay in the dark but bad when morning broke.

So Shinji made his way into the Aircraft Carrier.

-------

With the help of his suit, skills, time of night and dark Shinji had made it deep into the Aircraft Carrier into the Cargo Bay.

Sitting down in the dark, Shinji changed out of his wet sneaking suit.

It was quite hot down here, assumedly from being so close to the engines, so that would dry quickly.

Shinji switched into his normal clothes.

Knowing he had accomplished his mission, Shinji closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Since I'm still in the mood I'll immediately start working on the next chapter.


	6. Welcome to Outer Heaven

**Review Responses:**

**Kaze: **No they're not. The World superpowers have learnt their lessons with nuclear weaponry, and thus are reliant more on N2 technology, which is a viable alternative, and Second Impact would be a big shock to anyone, but this next chapter might give you your answers…

-------

Shinji woke up.

It had been several weeks. Occasionally during the long trip he would sneak outside to see where they were, but most of his time was done exercising here, cleaning his weapons or eating.

Since it was a cargo bay, naturally there would be cargo. And in this cargo bay, Shinji had found in some of the crates vast stores of ammunition, food and gear for soldiers among other things.

It had been the food he had been interested in, as now he wouldn't have to scavenge food from outside. Although it was soldiers' rations, Shinji was used to the taste and thus remained very healthy during the trip.

Last night during one of his lone reconnaissance missions outside, he found out that they were going to reach America today.

Returning to the bay, Shinji thought of his next plan.

Outer Heaven is located somewhere in the Middle East…but from hereon it should be quite easy, as getting out of Japan was the biggest problem.

He would have to find some members of FOXHOUND, as that was the only way he would be able to even find Outer Heaven.

To do that…he would have to pose as a soldier.

Shinji had been trained in all parts of the US Military, and also other militaries as well, so he was familiar with the Air Force, Navy and US Army and also their drills and calls.

It was only a matter of finding a uniform.

Before Shinji went out, he decided to look in the cargo crates to see if they were carrying anything useful.

Helmets, weapons…nothing too useful to him now but…there.

A crate full of clean US Navy uniforms.

Grabbing one that fitted him, Shinji slipped into it.

-------

During morning call as navy men began to get out of their cabins, a lone navy man got out of the Cargo Bay, his hair tucked tightly into his hat.

As they began to line up for morning uniform inspections, the soldier slipped in, seemingly disappearing among the ranks of navy crewmen.

The captain walked across the rows, looking at each man's uniform.

He frowned as he stopped by a navy man.

The person seemed to be very young, with a strangely pale face but blue, piercing eyes.

The captain hadn't seen him onboard the ship at all. "What's your name, soldier?"

There was a pause. "Private Frank Hunter, sir."

He looked him up and down. He seemed to be quite wiry, but strangely well-built. What unnerved the captain so was the feeling he got from him.

This Frank Hunter seemed to have the aura of a powerful presence, as if he were projecting himself to be much bigger than he was. In his eyes, there was a startling intelligence, but also…the dangerous glint of a predator.

The captain looked at his uniform. "You keep your uniform clean. Good work, soldier."

This said, he passed him by.

The captain stood up. "Alright, men, listen up! We've got a special guest coming onboard to pick up some cargo. Now I know that you're all tired, but because this vessel is one of the US Navy's best Aircraft Carriers, we're assigned with the biggest tasks. That little trip to Japan wasn't just a publicity stunt; it was also to pick up some…important cargo."  
Shinji's ears perked up. _I'll check this out when I get back to my base of operations._

-------

After hearing that this 'special guest' would be arriving sometime in the afternoon, Shinji high-tailed it back to the Cargo Bay.

Looking among the many crates, he noticed nothing unusual about some of them, until he got to the corner.

He frowned as he looked at several sleek crates with keypads on them. _What is this ship carrying that needs so much secrecy? Secret cargo retrieval disguised as a publicity stunt, an excuse to get an American Aircraft Carrier into Japanese waters? And now coded crates?  
_Naturally, being a spy Shinji knew how to work keypads like this even with the most basic of tools and soon he had one of them open.

Inside, there seemed to be strange parts of machinery, but what interested him was a file called 'Jet Alone'.

Knowing that time was short before the cargo would be taken to the main platform, Shinji flicked through it.

Not much of it seemed to make sense, but he picked up on the words 'nuclear equipped', and 'Anti-Evangelion'.

An Evangelion? What the hell was that?

Something unusual was happening here. Because of his overwhelming curiosity, he decided to post-pone his search for Big Boss and pick up on what was happening here.

But first he would need some supplies.

Going out again in his naval uniform, Shinji didn't get many strange looks. To anyone, it seemed like he was one of the crew going to work.

Knowing this _was _a navy ship, it would have plenty of the supplies that he needed.

_Now where is the supply…AH!_

He had found it. And sure enough, in plentiful supply were many glorious oxygen tanks.

-------

As you may have guessed, Shinji planned to stow himself in one of the crates (which would have been airtight) and find out what was going on.

Even with an oxygen tank he still didn't receive many suspicious stares from others, which was a relief.

Shinji had picked up a relatively portable one, one that could continuously supply air for four hours (A/N: I'm no diver, so if this is unrealistic get over it: It's the future and most of the world is flooded over).

Putting it back in his little base of operations, Shinji knew that he had plenty of time, so he decided to go to breakfast – a proper, hearty navy one.

-------

Picking up a tray, dishes and plastic utensils, Shinji received two (surprisingly thin) sausages, mashed potatoes and peas. He took these, went to the salads table, got some and sat down.

He ate by himself quietly, but taking his time to savour the food.

After he was done, Shinji returned to the Cargo Bay, and begun his rigorous exercise regime.

-------

Shinji finished after his one-hundredth press-up, standing up and wiping his sweaty forehead. He decided not to go further, seeing as he would need his strength for the mission ahead.

Shinji had been working out all morning, even paying a visit to the ship's gym. He exercised there until the call for lunch, and then he exercised there for the rest of the time until now.

Deciding to walk around casually as a cool down, he paused to get a drink from the water fountain before strolling around the ship.

After circling the ship several times, he looked up to see a black aircraft approaching – and fast.

He frowned. _They said that it was coming this afternoon, but it's only an hour past midday._

Either way, it was coming.

From its appearance, it was definitely a stealth aircraft, but faster than any he believed even the US Air Force were capable of.

I've got no time to lose.

Getting quickly back to his base of operations, Shinji packed up his things and put them in the plastic bag, aside from his Scorpion and machete. He switched into the sneaking suit and ditched the navy uniform, putting the weapons into their respective holsters.

Okay, here goes nothing.

Grabbing the oxygen tank, Shinji crouched into one of the crates with more space in them. It was surprisingly roomy, and he could easily fit himself in quite comfortably.

Shinji decided to wait until the very last moment until closing the lid – that way he would be able to maximise his breathing.

He also left the crate unlocked, so even though it was closed he could easily push it open again.

Shinji only hoped they wouldn't notice.

-------

As voices were beginning to come closer towards the Cargo Bay, Shinji waited until they had just started to open the door before closing the lid.

Because it was so thick, Shinji couldn't hear anything outside at all.

He felt himself being moved, carried and finally slammed onto something metal, which he assumed was the aircraft.

Suddenly he heard the distinct humming of powerful aircraft engines.

A moment later, he felt a pull as the aircraft began to get faster and faster.

A few minutes after they had stopped accelerating, Shinji checked his watch.

Only 15 minutes? Impressive.

The air inside the crate began to grow noticeable stale. Once Shinji started finding it hard to breathe, it was then he attached the mouthpiece and waited patiently.

-------

Exactly three hours passed.

A thump woke Shinji out of his meditative trance as the aircraft landed, powering down its engines.

Waiting until the crate he was in had been carried away and placed down, Shinji cautiously opened the lid, peeking out of it.

It seemed that he was in some sort of military camp, but there wasn't anyone around where he was now.

Opening it fully, Shinji stepped out, machete in his hand.

He looked around.

Click.

Shinji froze.

"Colt Single Action Army revolver", he stated almost robotically, "Also known as the Peacemaker or six-shooter. Can hold a maximum of six rounds, but intelligent officers only load five to prevent accidental discharge. .45 calibre…maximum effective range, less than 300 yards."

"Right on all accounts," a voice said behind him.

In a blur, Shinji had disarmed the gunman and now had the revolver pointed to his head. "Of course, it would be very stupid of me to come all this way and let my guard down, now wouldn't it?" Shinji smirked.

And with that, he took out his Scorpion, aiming it behind him.

"Very impressive, Frank Jaeger," a familiar voice said.

Shinji froze. He then took a good look at the soldier in front of him.

Aside from his funny dressing that looked like that of a cowboy, he saw the patch on his arm.

A fox gripping a knife in his teeth, with the words FOXHOUND below.

"FOXHOUND?" Shinji gasped. "Then that means…"

Big Boss grinned from behind Shinji. "That's right. Welcome to Outer Heaven, Shinji Ikari…or should I say, Null."


	7. Meet the family

**Review responses:**

**RahXephon: **Since Shinji is so well trained now it's almost impossible for anyone to survive a fight with him – possibly other than Big Boss. This is why the fight scenes are so short. And if by 'serious' you mean a more hardcore action fiction, then you won't find one here. If any of the characters in the game rushed blatantly in guns blazing, they would've been killed long ago.

And if you mean the story, well it's just the beginning and Shinji's development, still inhibited by those years he lost in the culture tank is only slowly coming out.

-------

Still holding the SAA revolver to the man's head, Shinji lowered his Scorpion. "I'm in Outer Heaven?"

Big Boss smiled as he walked forward, towering over Shinji like a teacher over a student. "That's right. I've read the CIA reports on you…the only success in a project labeled a complete failure. Not only that, but with skills that are nearly on par with The Boss herself."

"The Boss?" Shinji asked.

"My mentor – she taught me everything I knew, and more." With his trained eyes, Shinji noticed that Big Boss seemed to darken at this memory.

"But how did you know I was going to be here?" Frank Jaeger asked.

"Good question. Technically I shouldn't know how you were going to be here…but an old friend of mine at the CIA had planted a tracking device in your suit – after all he had built it. Knowing of your connection to me, and once hearing you had disappeared he contacted me instead of the usual cronies."

Shinji tugged at his sneaking suit. "I should have gotten rid of it, but it was too invaluable of an asset to simply throw away."

"And I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that it was useful. But while you're here, won't you mind giving Revolver Ocelot back his weapon?"

Shinji frowned as he looked back at the man in a cowboy outfit. Twirling the gun in his fingers, he stopped it and offered the butt of the gun to him. "Sorry, it's nothing personal."

Ocelot took it without a word, pushing it back into his holster. "You're pretty good, kid."

"High praise coming from a man like yourself," Big Boss chuckled.

"He did hold me hostage with my own weapon," Ocelot grumbled.

"Still high praise. But let's cut to the chase. You came here because you wanted to be trained like us, correct?"

"Yes," Shinji affirmed.

Big Boss considered this for a moment. "Considering the fact that you're already well trained, better than the majority of the soldiers here, the only way you're going to get benefit from any type of training is directly from the FOXHOUND soldiers or myself."

"So do you want me in?" Shinji asked.

"Given your mission success rating, doubtless skill as a soldier as well as the fact you escaped from NERV and Japan, survived there several days and got here without anyone noticing you, I'd say you're a pretty viable candidate."  
Shinji snapped off a salute.

"Unfortunately you won't be able to go by your name of Shinji Ikari – we don't want anyone to know you're the son of the NERV commander and frankly I don't like that bastard anyway."

"Understood."

"Therefore while here you will go by the name given by that German soldier – Frank Jaeger, but to make it easier we'll make it Frank Hunter."

"Yes sir!" Shinji saluted. "Thank you sir!"

"You will be immediately located your barracks. Wash up and get a new set of army fatigues, then come out to the mess hall for dinner at exactly 1800 hours."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Ocelot, would you be kind enough to show our new soldier his barracks? Barrack 6-B. I have other matters to attend to."

Ocelot snapped off a salute before turning to the boy. "You – come with me."

-------

"Big Boss assigned you to Barrack 6-B because it's completely isolated." The gunslinger said. "My guess is he wants to keep your stay here low profile so don't go chatting to anyone you're not authorised to."

And he was right – the barrack with the label 6-B on it was very far away from the rest of the barracks, surrounded by bushes and trees.

Ocelot opened it, leading Shinji into a large room with several beds and a shower.

"If I'm supposed to be staying under low profile…" Shinji began, "Then why am I going to dinner?"

"I think that's his idea of 'hiding in plain sight', but I'm sure he has his reasons."

Shinji put down his plastic bag of things on a bed. "Does no one come here?"

"Apparently it's haunted by the ghost of a soldier that killed himself."

Frank Hunter frowned.

"But it's just actually an old rumour spread around by Big Boss. He knew these barracks, and its isolation might come in handy."

But Shinji didn't believe it. "So…hardened, well-trained soldiers are afraid of some little ghost rumour?"

"You'd be surprised by how many are superstitious."

As Ocelot turned to exit, he added, "Oh and by the way, nice technique you pulled back there. But I promise you, the time we train won't be as easy."

"I'm looking forward to it," Shinji replied.

Both snapped off salutes at each other before separating.

-------

At 1800 hours, Shinji, now named Frank was in a fresh set of army fatigues he had found in a closet.

Coming out of the barracks, making sure no one saw him he made his way to the mess hall – conveniently placed just down the track, about 100 metres down from his barracks.

Walking in, the mess hall was completely packed with soldiers.

Grabbing a tray, Shinji was given a can of soldier's rations and a spoon by the soldier cook.

Amazingly, no one had noticed him. Even with his pale, youthful face and white hair no one seemed to even take more than a glance at him.

Seeing Ocelot waving at him, he walked over, taking a seat at his table among many other strange people.

"So this is FOXHOUND?" Shinji asked.

He looked across from him, to see a variety of different people at the table.

His situational awareness also told him that the other soldiers were avoiding them.

How interesting… 

"Correct," Ocelot affirmed. "This is FOXHOUND unit, the finest special forces group in the world."

Just as he said that, a slicing sound, not able to be normally heard by normal human ears whistled through the air.

Shinji's eyes narrowed as he grabbed the wrist holding the knife underneath the table, before twisting it and disarming the attacker.

He brought it up, twirling it in his fingers a few times. "Nice knife. Let me guess, standard issue?"

"Good reflexes," a graveled voice said.

Shinji looked up to see a hardened man with a bandanna wrapped around his head.

"I read your CIA mission history file," the man said. "I didn't quite believe it then, but I believe it now…Null."

"Technically that's not my codename anymore." Shinji said. "But I guess it'll do."

"I'm Solid Snake," the man said, offering his hand.

The two of them shook hands.

"Nice to meet you," Shinji said.

"_Nice to meet you."_

Shinji frowned as he looked to the man next to him, who had just done a perfect imitation of his voice.

"Stop messing with the kid, Octopus," the only woman at the table groaned.

"Octopus?"

"_That's Decoy Octopus," _the man said again in another perfect imitation of his voice. Clearly he was enjoying this.

Turning around, Shinji looked at the woman. "You're the only female in the camp."

"Say that while we're on the field, and I'll shoot your legs off with my rifle," the lady growled. "So what if I'm a woman? Can't women do rough stuff like men?"

Shinji noticed the badge on her chest. "You're Sniper Wolf?  
Sniper Wolf grinned. "You noticed. Perfect shooting – I've never missed."

_Somehow I doubt it._

"She has," a cool voice stated.

Shinji turned in surprise to see the final special member of FOXHOUND.

It was a mysterious man in a strange, black suit. Instead of eating the food normally, he was sucking it through a straw into his mask, creating a strange image.

No way. You can read my mind? 

"Correct. I'm Psycho Mantis, and I'm the most powerful user of psycho kinesis in the world!"

Frank leaned back. "What an interesting bunch of people."

Revolver Ocelot sipped at his drink. "That's right – and that's also why we've never failed a mission, and aren't planning to."

-------

A/N: A short little update here since I'm so busy now. Chapters may take a little longer than usual, and it may be more rushed. If you think I'm evil for making the FOXHOUND soldiers seem like good guys, if you really look at MGS 1 closer they really kind of were. Even Psycho Mantis said before he died that Solid Snake was "one of them", and they wouldn't have tried to capture Metal Gear REX because Second Impact would have completely changed the Metal Gear timeline, and it could have changed many people.


End file.
